Container



June 28, 1932. 1,865,063 L. c. AMENT, Now BY JUDICIAL CHANGE OF NAME L.c. THOMAS CON'IA INDR Filed May 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

ATTORN EYS June 28, 1932. I 1,865,063 L. C AMENT. NOW BY JUDICIAL CHANGEQF NAME L. C. THOMAS CONTAINER Filed May 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 QUE?Patented ,June 28,, 1932 UNITED A STATES PATENT OFFICE LUCY oor'ronAMEN'I, or NEW YORK, n. Y., now BY JUmcm CHANGE OF NAME LUCY oo'r'ronmoms CONTAINER Application filed May 2,

My present invention relates to improvements in holders or cases forcigarettes and matches and the like.

An object of the invention is the provision of a novel form of containerfor containing and rendering readily accessible both cigarettes andmatches.

Another object is to provide the container with novel closure means handoperated from without the container for controlling the position of theclosure, and to expose the cigarettes and matches.

A further object is to utilize all of the space within the container byutilizing the space in rear of the match packet receiving compartmentfor receiving cigarettes in addition to cigarettes in the chamber besidethe match packet receiving space.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the features, combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my match and cigarette container ofgeneral parallelopiped rectangular form, in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the container of Fig. 1 in openposition.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the device as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section substantially on line 41 of Fig. 3 with partsomitted to show the operating lever and link connection.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4. with the parts inpartially open position.

Fig. 6 is a section substantially on line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a view of the lever operating bar to which the finger buttonis secured, looking from the inside of the container wall and showingthe extension from said bar guided on the depression in the wall at theslot.

Fig. 8 is a view of a modified form of my invention, in closedfposition.

Fig. 9 is a view 0 the container of Fig. 8 in open position.

Figs. 10 and 11 are closed and open positions respectively of anothermodification.

1929. Serial No. 859,952.

Figs. 12 and 13 are closed and open posiz ons respectively of a stillfurther modlfica- Referring to the drawings, the container 1 ispreferably of generally rectangular parallelopiped form and provides asimilarly shaped lnner chamber divided into a match packet receivingportion 2 and a cigarette receiving portion 3.

The match receiving portion 2 is disposed forwardly and to one side ofthe container chamber, leaving room or space 3 for cigarettes at theside and to the rear thereof. As shown, the match packet receivingcompartment occupies about half of the area of the mouthof containeropening 4. and is adapted to receive the usual paper match packet 5. 0The closure members or doors 6, as shown in Figs. 1 to 7 are hinged tothe container at 7 and springs 8 are provided at the hinges for urgingthe closure members to closed position.

An inner wall 9 having side portions 9a is provided in the containerparallel to and spaced from the rear and side outer walls 21 and 22 ofthe container to provide space 10 for the closure controlling means.

Within the space 10 is movably mounted for vertical sliding movement anoperating cross-bar 11 having a depending portion 12, grooved orchanneled at 13 to be guided in its movement upon guiding ridge 14struck or bent inwardly from the outer wall 21 of the containerat theslot 15. The slot 15 is cut through the ridge portion 1 1 of the rearouter wall 21 and serves to guide the hand or finger button 16 of theoperating cross-bar which extends through the slot to the outside of therear wall 21 and is readily accessible for operation.

Links 17 are pivotally connected to the ears 18 on the ends of thecross-bar 11 and are disposed in the space 10 between the inner andouter side walls 9a and 22. The links 17 are each pivotally connected attheir opposite ends to one arm 19a of bell crank lever 19. Bell cranklevers 19 are also disposed in the space 10 and are pivotally mounted at20 in the inner and outer side walls 90. and 22. The opposite arm 1% ofthe bell crank lever 19 is preferably provided with a roller 23 forengaging the closure member or door 6 near or adjacent the hingethereof.

The side port-ions 9a of the inner wall 9, as shown, are bent outwardlyat their outer ends and join or engage the outer side Walls 22 at thehinges 7. Slots 24 are provided in the side portions 9a of the innerwall to permit passage of the arms 19b of the bell cranks 19 to engageor bear upon the doors 6. v

The doors 6 as shown preferably are overlapped at their meeting point asshown at 27".

A partition 25 divides the inner chamber of the container 1 into thematch packet receiving portion 2 and the cigarette receiving portion 3for receiving individual cigarettes 26.

The partition 25 comprises a rear or back portion 25a between which andthe inner rear wall 9 is provided an extension of space 3 for receivingcigarettes, and an upstanding flan e portion 25?) around its edge.

'1 e flange portion 25b is extended inwardly at 250 for receiving thematch packet 5. It is preferably slightly bowed or bent at 25d to exerta spring clamping action upon the base 5a of the package of matches. Theflange portion 25?) may be extended at 250 to provide a smooth surfaceto guide or direct access to the matches. The flange portion 25b ispreferably provided at the sides with retaining lugs 28 struck therefromand adapted to bear against and retain the backing wall 5?) of the matchpacket 5 after the same has been snapped into position.

In the operation of my device as shown in Figs. 1 to 7, the device willnormally be maintained in closed or carrying position as shown in Fig.1, the springs at the hinges holding the doors yieldingly closed. \Vhenit is desired to open the container or case, the button 16 is moveddownwardly through slot 15 by a simple motion of the thumb or finger andthis motion is transmitted through the operating cross-bar 11 whichmoves downwardly guided upon the ridge 14, through the links 17 to thebell cranks 19.

The arms 19?) with rollers 23 on the ends thereof are thereby swung orforced outwardly through the slots 24 and bearing upon the doors 6 forcethem to open position, by a combined sliding and pushing motion,simultaneously exposing the cigarettes and giatches and rendering themreadily accessi- As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the channeled dependingportion 12 of the cross-bar 11 guided upon the slotted ridge 14,normally completely closes the slot 15 in the ridge,i. e., when thebutton 16 is in upper position and the container closed. The slot isonly open to the interior of the container when the button is ushed downand the doors 0 ened.

In igs. 8 and 9 is shown a modified form of my invention providin acontainer with a chamber having a match packet receiving portion and acigarette receiving portion, in which the closure means, movable tosimultaneously expose the cigarettes and matches, comprise a pair ofdoor members 29 hinged at .29 and connected by links 30 with operatingbutton 31 movable in slot 32 in the end of the container body. Springs33 are provided at the hinges to urge the doors to closed position withtheir edges meeting as shown in Fig. 8. The links 30 are pivotallyconnected with the operating button 31 and at their opposite ends arepivotally connected to the closure members or doors 2929' at the corners34 of flanges 35 of the doors. If it be desired to extend the amount ofopening of the doors, the links may be curved or cut away as shown at36, and the upper terminal of the slot 32 may be extended.

In Figs. 10 and 11 is shown a form of my invention in which the matchesand cigarettes are simultaneously exposed by means of a slide closuremember 37 on the side of the casing provided with channeled portions 38at its sides slidably engaging ribs or beads 39 on the casing. This formof slide closure opens only the side of the container.

Figs. 12 and 13 show a similar arrangement in which the top and one sideof the container are opened and closed by means of a slide closure 40having a guide channel 41 engaging guide rib 42 on-the side of thecontainer. As shown, the slide closure 40 comprises upper portion 40aand depending side portions 40?) and 400. The side portion 40b isprovided with the guide means which prevent upward displacement; whilethe side portion 400 may simply bear slidably against the closed rearside of the casing. Suitable fin er projections 43 may be provided onthe sli e closures.

Certain features herein described but not claimed are made the subjectmatter of a divisional application.

I claim:

1. A container providing an inner chamber having a match receivingcompartment and a cigarette receiving compartment, and closure meansmovable to simultaneously expose both of said compartments to provideaccess to both the matches and the cigarettes, said closure meanscomprising doors hinged to the casing, springs at the hinges urging thedoors to closed position, a slot in the casing, an operating membermovable in said slot and operable from without the container, bell cranklevers pivoted in said container, links connecting said operating memberwith said bell crank levers, and rollers on the free ends of said bellcranks to engage and open the doors when the operating member is moved.

2. A container for cigarettes or the like having closure means, operatinmeans therefor, said container space being efined in art by said closuremeans and in part by a ouble wall, said double wall providing a spacebetween its members within which space the operating means is located,and exterior means for actuating said operating means,

said double wall forming the back and two sides of said container, andsaid operating means comprising an operating cross-bar mounted forsliding movement 1n said double wall and having a channeled dependingportion, the outer wall of said double wall having a guiding ridgeslidably receiving said channeled portion of the operating cross-bar,said outer wall at the ridge being slotted longitudinally of said ridge,and said channeled portion of the operating bar having a handle memberdisposed in said slot, said operating bar havin ears on its endsdisposed in the double wa 1 space at the sides of the container, bellcrank levers mounted one in each of said side double wall spaces,openings at the front of said side double walls permitting one arm ofsaid bell cranks to swing against, said closure means, and linksconnecting said ears with the other arms of saidbell cranks.

3. A container for ci arettes or the like havin closure means, saidcontainer having 1 a dou le wall at its sides and back, said double wallhaving a space between its members, operating means for said closuresdisposed in said space within said double wall, said operating meansincluding a cross-bar having a handle portion exposed through a slot inthe outer wall, said cross-bar extendin across and being slidable insaid space an having forwardly turned terminal ears disposed in thespaces in the side double walls, bell cranks one in each of said sidespaces, links connecting said bell cranks with said ears, and slots insaid side double walls adjacent the 010- sures to permit the free endsof said bell cranks to operatively engage said closures gpon beingactuated by said operating cross- In testimon whereof, I aflix mysignature.

L CY COTTON THOMAS.

